“People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within.” ~ Elisabeth Kubler-Ross
With the weight of trauma comes an opportunity for growth. Post-traumatic growth occurs when someone rises from their trauma to find a positive change within them that helps them heal from some aspects of their pain. Trauma is multi-faceted and healing occurs in ebbs and waves, not in a singular line. Striving to work towards growing as a human takes away the power held by the source of the trauma. Resilience is perseverance while adapting back to a state of normalcy, whereas post-traumatic growth involves a changed state with a positive psychological component following a trauma. We see post-traumatic growth within the Parkland community in the individuals and families who are forever changed by the shooting at MSD but who have worked tirelessly for change, who have found positive psychological shifts such as a relationship with gratitude, and who have come together as a community to support one another especially during physical distancing. How can we as professionals identify and foster growth with those we are serving? According to Tedeschi and Calhoun's Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI), identify positive responses in these five areas:
Appreciation of life.
Relationships with others.
New possibilities in life.
Personal strength.
Spiritual change.
Now more than ever, it is imperative to identify and focus on supporting the resilience and the growth we see in the community. While our mission is to support the Parkland community following the shooting at MSD, we remind our members that PU4P stands firmly in embracing all who come to us for help, no matter the color of their skin, the religion they follow, or their political beliefs. We align with the communities around our country in working towards a society where all people are treated equally. Please continue to check our Facebook page for updates and let us know if you have any questions or want to help out. We look forward to continuing to serve our community with you.
Program Spotlight
The PU4P VIRTUAL SUPERHERO 5K
WAS A SUCCESS!!!
Thank you to everyone who participated, to Victory Sports Management for guiding us through the virtual 5K process, and to our incredible sponsors who made it all possible with their generous donations
PU4P Updates Therapists and Mental Health Practitioners - We are reaching out to you as the board of Professionals United for Parkland. Since the shooting on February 14th, 2018 we have been working hard to support the community together. We need trauma trained therapists to be on our Vetted Therapists List that we provide to organizations and agencies so they may refer individuals and families. The holidays, the trial, and the anniversary are approaching so we will receive more requests for our list. Soon the grant for individual services should be released and we were asked to send the most updated list. We will be able to send your information for referrals through this collaboration. More than anything, we need to have good quality therapists who have trauma training to offer the community. Your commitment to be on the list is to provide two pro-bonos a year. In exchange, you will be on our online directory (soon to be live on the website). In addition, all the community agencies including Children Services Council, United Way, and Eagles Haven have this list. Professionals United for Parkland is hoping we can add more qualified trauma therapists to our vetted list. If you know of anyone you can share this with, please feel free to share with them. Please send your information to info@pu4p.org to begin or update your vetting for the PU4P list. Don't forget to check our Facebook page for the most current events, updates, and information about PU4P! Thank you for your support of PU4P and your dedication to the Parkland community